Improvement in apparatus for generating gas and vapors from petroleum



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p n AMBLER. 4improvement in Apparatus fen Generating Gas and vapors fromPtroieum.

Patented May 14, 1872i.

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A. l. Amman. m ee Imprvverpent in Apparatus for Generating Gas andvapors from Petroleum.`

Patented May/14,1872.

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AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER, OF TVASHINGTON, D. C., ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF HIS RIGHTTO JOHN BUTLER, OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS AND VAPORS FROM PETROLEUM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,770, dated May 14,1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER,

of `the city 6i' VVa'shington, in the District of' Columbia, haveinvented a new and Improved Mode of Manufacturing Gas from Petroleum.ings forming a part of this speciiication, in 'which- Figure 1represents a sectional view of the oil or supply-tank taken in line ofcenter. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the generator proper, orthat part of the apparatus in which the gas is generated andliberatedfromthe oil. Fig. 3 represents the receiver for receiving the gas orvapor after it is made and liberated from the oil. Fig. 4 represents thegasometer for the purpose of holding the gas for use. Fig. 5 representsa force-pump to force the gas from the receiver to the gasometer, so asto pack the gas in the gasometer for use. Fig. 6 represents the tire-boxof an engine, showing liame, burners, pocket, 'and air-jets. Fig. 7represents a sectional view of the ratchet cog-rim in the lowersteam-space ot' the generator, Fig. 2, for

the purpose of reaction and of adding force to the centrifugal arms. Allof the iigures are shown in a sectional view and taken in the centerline. y

Similar letters of reference in the several gures indicate correspondingparts.

Figure S represents, tirst, the inner oil-chamber, as shownsubstantially in Fig. 2, D. Secondly, it also represents the steam-tube,as shown by shaft E" in Fig. 2, through which the steam enters into theoil this may be with a dome top or a square top, as indicated in thedrawing. The object ot this concave dome is to deiiect and cause the oiland steam to pass downward in easy lines.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing a machine orapparatus for the purpose of producing gas from petroleum or otheroleaginous substances as to use and 'render available steam heat andsteam force in generating and liberating gas from the sub stance orsubstances aforesaid, and to utilize the same for all the purposes ofheat and light. It is also the object of this invention to renderpractical and safe the use of the same, and thus place the apparatuswithin the reach of all; and for this purpose the steam can be used andmade available at both a low and high temperature, and a low and highpressure.

'Io enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and mode ot' operation.

My oil or supply-tank A is constructed with a steam-chamber, B, at thebottom, so as'to let in and out steam by means of the pipes A and B andthe exhanstpipe A. It is also provided with an opening at the top, shownat A, for the admission of oil, which is required to be closedsteam-tight, and for which any suitable means may be employed. I show acap, bar, mit, and screw-bolt, the bolt being permanently fastened tothe cap, the screwbolt passing through the bar, and the nut screwed downthereon. From this oil-tank A there is also a pipe, AH, communicatingwith the oil-chamber of the generator, so as to keep up a steady supplyof oil in the generator. The steam-space B is used to keep the oil hotand secure a constant pressure thereon, so as to feed the generatorwithout further auxiliary force.

Here it may, however, be stated that a suitable force-pum p might be anadvantage in connection with the pipe A, to force the oil into thegenerator for the purpose of supply thereto. Steam-pipe B is the mainsteam-pipe, connecting all parts of the apparatus with the high steam ofthe boiler; and pipe A is the pipe which carries back the condensationor low steam to the lower. part of the boiler for circulatio'h. Thistank may be constructed of boileriron or any suitable material, and ofany size to meet the object for which it is constructed.

The generator C is made with a dome and globe or spheretop, I, of suchsuitable material as may be adapted to the use intended, either of ironor copper; and the same may here be said of both receiver and gasometer.O is the steam-space round the generator for heat ing the oil. C is adouble-coil steam-pipe, communicating with the steam-space C at thebottom of the oil-chamber D. D is the oilchamber between the inneroil-chamber D and gas or vapor. the journals of this steam-shaft Eshould be the steam-space C. This oil-chamber has no top or obstructionwhatever to prevent the gas from ascending up and into the dome andsphere. D is an oil-chamber in the center of the generator perforatedwith holes at the bottom, but gas and steam-tight at the top. In thecenter ot' this chamber, and from the bottom of the genera-tor up andinto the dome, a cylindrical steam-shaft E is introduced. This shaft hasat the bottom, and in a steam-space or chamber,'F, two or more hollow orcylindrical arms, E', the hollow or hole of which communicates with theshaft E. At the top of the oil-chamber D', and attached to anda part ofthe shaft E, there are two or more cylindrical arms, E, the hollow orbore of which communicates with the shaft E precisely the same as thearms E at the bottom. All of these a-rms E and E are so constructed asto receive steam at the shaft E and discharge the same at the oppositeends of the arms, thus obtaining a centrifugal force and discharge ofthe steam into the steam-space F at the bottom, and into the oil-chamberD at the top, steam being let into this shaft E at the bottom of thegenerator by means of the steam-pipe B". Upon this shaft, and in theoil-chamber I), there is a thin perforated worm-plate, B", running roundthe shaft from the bottom to Ythe top for the purpose of stirring andbeating the oil, and thus thoroughly mixing the steam and oil in theoil-chambers D and D, and, by means of themotion and friction thusproduced, aid in generating and liberating the It will be understoodthat all made steam-tight, so as to prevent the oil or steam fromescaping through them. I have shown in the drawings suitablestuffing-boxes therefor, as shown at G G, at top and bottom of theoil-chamber D. There should also be a suitable bearing-journal for thebottom of the shaft, as indicated at G. This need not be steam-tight, asthe steam-pipeB will be steamtight, and steam cannot pass out for thereason that a suitable stop-cock is placed there to let on and turn offsteam. Upon the top of the shaft E, and in the dome of the generator,there is a cone-shaped wire-netting, H, to whip the oil or vapor intothe tinest possible spray; and this cone also acts as a preventive tothe oil from rising in a body into the dome and passing out with the gasinto the receiver. The steam-space F at the bottom is constructed with aratchet cog-rim round the same on the -insidefor the purpose ofaddingforce and power to the centrifuga-l discharge of steam from thearms E. The steam-space or chamber F also has an exhaust near the centerF', as shown. I make' this part of the generator of cast-iron as themost economical material, and bolt the upper-'part ofthe generatorthereto by suitable tlanges and packing. I also flange out the main bodyof the generator and the dome, and pack and bolt the same so that I canreadily take the generator apart. The globe I orsphere at the top issuitably applied, and needs no I explanation beyond what the drawingsclearly afford; it may be cast-iron or made of copper.

The object of the sphere is to allow the gas t0 expand in passing out,and to allow the oil, if any ascends, to descend'or fall back into thedome or upper part of the generator to again .undergo the process ofgenerating and liberating the gas. This generator should be suppliedwith pipes suitable to blow out, blow oit', and discharge the same, anda glass tube, J, to show the amount of the oil in the generator. Thereshould also be attached to the generator a suitable gauge to give theforce of pressure, as indicated at I 5 also, a suitablespirit-thermometer to indicate and show the heat attained, asrepresented at J.

The generator is connected with the receiver by means of a suitable pipefrom the top of the one to the l other. In this pipe there is astop-cock to break the connection and stop the flow of gas either fromor to the generator. The' receiver K is constructed with a steam-spaceat the bottom to generate the drippings into gas, with suitable pipeconnections to let the steam in and out, and an exhaust-pipe fordischarge, as shown at b and c; also a pipe and stop-cock, d, to blowoif the gas from the receiver. The receiver has two connections with thegasometer; one by means of the connecting-pipe K at the top with itsstop-cock K,

and another by means of the pipe and forcepump, as shown at and by Fig.5; this forcepump being used only when it is desirable to compress orpack the gas in the gasometer for supply in starting again after fire isextinquished and the steam has gone down. gasometer is constructedprecisely as the receiver is, and is connected with it by means of thepipes and force-pump aforesaid. The tirebox is the ordinary tire-box ofan engine in common use. The gas is carried to the lower part of thetire-box by means of a suitable tube, when it enters the box or pocketL, the pipe ascending in the box so as to discharge the gas above anywater. condensation, or drippings that may reach the same. This box orpocket L is constructed 0f cast-iron as the most economical material,from a pattern, in such form and size as may be required to suit thetire-box to which it is to be applied. Upon the top of this box L andcommunicating with the inside of it I put as many tubes, tips, orburners as may be needed to supply the proper amount of llame and heatto the tirebox for the purpose of generating steam as high as theservice demands. There should also be air-jets round the fire-box with asliding cover, and to the extent required, made of hollow or tubularstay-bolts through the waterspace or water-leg of the lire-box for theadmission of air to secure the most perfect combustion ot' the gasgenerated.

Upon the tirst trial or operation, steam being raised in the boiler,steam is let o n by the` operator by means of the cock Bf at the boil`vver, communicating with all the branch pipes and steam-chambers forheating purposes- The Y ofthe stop-cock M.

`N lets on the steam for heat by closing the that is, the steam is leton and continues to flowfrom the high steam of the boiler through allthe pipes, branches, and steam-chambers or steam-space for heatingpurposes, and back as steam condenses into the lower part of the boiler,so as to complete a perfect circulation; and this should continue untilthe heat in the generator has attained the desired maximum, as shown bythe thermometer, when steam should then be let onto the centrifugalforce` shaft E and its connections by means of the steam-'pipecommunicating therewith. The eX- haust then should be opened, so as todischarge as much steam as necessary at the center of t-he steamspace orchamber F to work the force freely, and this can be subsequentlyregulated to suit the demand. The steam thus entering the shaft E at thebottom will pass up and diverge so as to pass out at the arms E',striking the ratchet-cogs round thespace F, and thus give a rotarymotion or force to the shaft E, and

with such speed as may be desired, ca-rrying with it the thin perforatedworm-plate round the shaft, as clearly shown in the drawing. The steamwill also ascend the shaft E and enter the arms E" at the top of theoil-chamberD', and be discharged at the extremities thereof into the oilwith such force and in such quantity as may be needed to perform theservice desired. The' steam thus discharged from the arms E" isthoroughly mixed with the oil, as it is compelled to descend to find anoutlet, and steam and gas descend to the bottom of the chamber D', wherethey find holes for escape into the main body ofthe oil in theoilchamber D. The steam and gas and expanded oil continue to rise untilthey come into contact with the cone-nettin g H in the dome, where theyare lashed and whipped into spray and the finest possible particles,when, meeting the heat ofthe dome and sphere or globe, they pass out atthe top and enter the receiver by means of the pipe O, passing onthrough the receiver by means of the connecting-pipe at the top, andleaving in the receiver any drippings or condensation to be againgenerated into gas and steam by means of the steam heat in thesteam-space at the bottom, upon the top plate of which it will fall,and, passing into the gasometer, iilling both receiver and gasometerwith gas and vapor. The operator then lets on his gas slowly by means ofthe stop-cock M, the gas liowing at once into the box or pocket L in theiirebox and out at the tips or burners, when a lighted match thrown intothe tire-box through the door at once ignites the gas, and the fire-boxand iues are rapidly filled with llame This stop-cock M regulates theflame as desired thc same as the stop-cock regulates the common gas inuse. T o stop the fire instantly turn off the gas-supply by means rlhehandle or stop-cock stop-cock N'. The stop-cock 13"" lets on the steamfor heat by stopping or closing thestopv cock N' and opening theystop-cock N.

It should be here observed that all the stopcocks should be broughtwithin easy reach of the engineer or operator by means of suitable rodconnections or otherwise.

The force-pump as represented in Fig. 5 may be a rotary and operated bysteam, or any other suitable force-pump of capacity sufficient tocompress or pack the gas, as heretofore indicated, for supply and use.

It may be also proper here to sayl that for some purposes thecentrifuga-l force employed and described, and the attachments thereto,may be left off, and the machine or apparatus Worked without them, asfollows, to Wit: The steam to be used in the oil-chamber D' may enter atube, as shown in Fig. 8, from the steam-pipe at the bottom, passingthrough the steam-space F", which should, in such case, have acommunication with the steam-space C' up in the oil-chamber D', to thetop, and discharge the steam from the end of the tube or hollow shaft E,through a perforated plate at the top, against a concave surface, so asto direct the steam down through the oil in the chamber D' to the holesat the bottom and out through the main oil-chamber D, as before, foruse. The feature in this is, that thestea-m is thus compelled to passdown through the entire body of oil in the oil-chamberD', in order toescape into and through and out of the oilchamber D, thus generating andforcibly carrying forward the gas and vapor for use, as indicated in theformer operation.

It may also be observed that this shaft E,

y with its arms E" might be operated by many other mechanicalcontrivances well known and employed in mechanics outside of thegenerator, and the same result be substantially obtained therefrom; theobject of the lower arms E' being solely to give rotary motion to theshaft E and arms E" for the purpose of ejecu.

in g steam by means of a rotary motion into the oil for a more perfectand complete distribution Y and circula-tion of the steam in the oil,and to beat the oil by means of the perforated wormplate B' round theshaft E.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The gas-generator C, when constructed with an oil-chamber, D, and aninner oil-chamber, D', havingfa closed top and holes or perforations forthe discharge of oil and steam at the bottom, when combined with.astea-mshaft, E, Fig. 2, or steam-tube E"', Fig. 8, for the admission ofsteam therein, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The oil-chamber D', beingclosed at the top and open at the botiom,and an oil-chamber, D, having an open top into the dome, in combinationwith steam-pipe E, Fig. 2, or steam-tube E'", Fig. S, andheating-surface C' and C", substantially as shown, and for the purposeset forth.

3. The steam-shaft E, the arms E' and E", and the steam-space F, whencombined with oil-chambers D and D', and heating-surface C' and C",substantially as shown.

4. The conical Wire-netting H, when combined with sha-ft E, oil-chambersD und D, and heating-surfaces C and C, substantially as shown, and forthe purpose set forth.

5. The plate B, when combined with a rotary shaft, E, oil-chambers D andDf, and heatingsurf'uces C and C, substantially us shown, and for thepurpose set forth.

6. The receiver K, when constructed with heating-surface F to evaporatethe drippings, and connected with and :t part of u. gusgener ntor, incombination with :n gasometer and forcepump, substantially as shown, andfor the purpose set forth.

7. The apparatus, substantially its herein shown and described,consisting of the combinution of the oil-tank A, gas-generator C,receiver K, gesometer and fire-box L, for the purposes herein set forth.

1Washington city, D. C., January 24, 1870.

AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER. I

Witnesses:

FREDO. A. HOLDEN, ELLEN F. HOLDEN.

